Pedal-control attachment for automobiles



1 c'r. G UNDERMAN PEDAL CONTROL ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES May 2 2, 1928.y

Original Filed Deo. l5, 1926 INVENTR I/IIIITIIUIJ Patented May 22, 17928.. i

UNITI-:D lSTATI-:s

P .airrsN'rj oFFICE.

LESTER' e. GUND'ERMAN, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIEJAID-Cmll'lROL' ATTAQHM'ENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application-tiledDecember 15, 1926, Serial No. 154,898. Renewed March 27, 1928.4

This invention is an attachment for automobiles andcomprises a devine adapted to be connected to the'clutch and brake pedals for -controlling the movement of one pedal, vto a- .certain extent, with respect to movement of the other pedal. f

Inan automobile it is customary to have the clutch and brake edals arranged one beside the other, and 1n 'use the brake is l0 often operatedy without operating the clutch,

and vice versa. However, in coming toa stop both pedals are usually operated simultaneously, and if the -car is stopped in this manner going up a grade, the releasing of ll the brakes to use the feet to operate both the clutch and accelerator will leave the car Ifree to roll backun1ess' ,the emergency brake is Y used,`or. the engine acceleratedby the hand control, while one foot is kept onthe' brake I0 and the other onV the clutch pedal. An object of the present invention is to provide a. deviceA which will not interfere with the independent operation ofthe foot pedals when desired, so that itu affords no-imil pediment to driving, but when both are depressed fer stopping the car and then released rthe vdevice will function in such a way that the'brake is gradually released automatically as the clutch is being gradually` l l0 brought intopperative position, whereby thel operator is free'to use the foot removed from the brake pedal to, operate the accelerator andl the car can be smoothly started without'jerking.

These and other objectswhich will be apparent to those skilled inthis particular art are attained by means of the invention illustrated 'in \the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 isa side view showing diarammatically theattachment together with 2tghe relation to the-brake and clutch edals. Fig'.- 2 is a transverse section-in the p ane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the attachment in the 46 plane of line r3---3 of Fig. 2.- Fi'gure 4 is a longitudinal section through the attachment in the plane of line 4 4 ,of Fig. 2.

- The several partsof the device are carried Y y `pressing the clutch pedal the plunger 23 will Ibe forced in, and as this movement of thev by'a Icasing 7, which is preferably in 'two 50. parts, one ,provided with parallel guideways 8 and, 9 extending' therethrough, and

journa'lled in'the casing is a transverse shaft 10 having gearwheel- 11 in mes'hwitha Arack 12 that slides freely inthe guidewy 8. The shaft is enlargedv in the form "of -a clutch member l'r'ecessed tangentially to, receive spring actuated `lpawls 14s-which engage the inner side ofthe rim of a brake drum or companion clutch' member 15, and these pawls are actuated against the rim of the drum by springs 16 which yield to permit" the shaft and gearwheel to be freelyrotated in one direction, but when the motionof said gearwlieel-and shaft isj reversed, inthe operation of the device as hereinafter described, the vpawls are pressed against the rim ofthe drum and lock thellutch mem'- `bers together so that the movement of the to the drum, as for instance the friction brake or lever 17, which ispivoted at oney end in the casing, at 18, with its other or free end'22 extended to align with the guideway 9 and apertured for the passage of a plunger-rod 23 `therethrough slidable inv said guid-eway.l The brake-lever is provided with a" renewable shoel 1,9 adapted to impinge-on the drum, andis normally. pressed against said ,drum bya springf21l interposed lated or retarded by braking meansapplied between the lever and an adjusting-screw 20,

the latter being threaded into the casing, as K l shown in Fig.l 4.- y,

By setting the screw 20 the friction on the drum 15 will be 'increased retarding the roout the degree of friction may be lessened.

The plunger has a collar 24 near its outer end and ashort spring 25 is located on the plunger between the .collar and outer end all the-way in to cushion the thrust against the brake-lever. The collar may be adjustan integralpart thereof. l f

The rack 12 1S reducedat its'outer end 26 'and provided with an aperture for connecting it With'the brake pedal 27 by a connectitation of said drum and by turning the screw fi .on 'ableon the plunger but I have shown it as ing link 28, and in like manner the reduced f louter end29 of the plunger 23 isV connected to the clutch pedal` not shown).

In operating it will be seen that on deplunger is unobstructed the clutch can be operated freely at` all times. When the clutch pedal is in released positiomwiththe driving clutchof the 'automobile in ear, the collarl on'the plunger '23 isfaway -1 om` the brake lever 17 and consequently the brakepedal 27 connected to rack 12 can be operated freely inasmuch as'the shaft and parts carried thereby are free to be rotated, but the outward movementof the brake pedal and. rack is retarded by the pressure of the brake-lever ll'on the drum under the influ ence of the expansion spring to provide a gradual releasing of the automobile brakes automatically Vby the friction brake of the device, and of course the action of this fric tion brake can be varied by adjusting screw lf however the clutch and the brake pedals are depressed simultaneously the plunger 23 will force the spring 25 against the brake lever 17 putting sufficient force thereon to prevent the friction clutch device and shaft 10 from rotating, and consequently the brake pedal cannot return to its normal position, as long as the clutch'pedai is depressed. Therefore the operator may remove-his foot from the brake pedal if so desired at such a time. `When the operator gradually releases the clutch pedal the extra holding pressure on .the brake lever 17 is immediately released allowing the friction clutch device to revolve carrying along with it the gear shaft'lO and gearwheel 11, but as the clutch device is automatically retarded by the brake-lever and cooperating spring 21 the brake pedal will move slowly back to l normal position thus gradually releasing the brake pedal as the clutch pedal is operated.

The advantage `of the invention arises,

from the provision of means forl gradually letting off the brake automatically when the foot is 4removed lfrom thebrake pedal and the car is standing still, so that starting on a hill or in a congested street 'is very easily accomplished without the annoyance 'of using the emergency brake. v Another advantage of the invention resides in the provision of an attachment kwhich will permit of such operation of the brake without interfering with the inde` pendent operation of either` pedal. v

The device can be cheaply manufactured and easily installed at any suitable locationl on the car frame with respect to the foot pedals for operating theA brake and clutch 'depending upon the type of car.

I do not wish to .be understood as having limited myself to the exact detail of construction shown and described, but desire to have it understood that the invention I X have shown in the drawing is merely illustrative, as it is manifest that various minorchanges may be made in the form, shape and particular arrangements of the' parts with` out departing from the spirit of my inveny tion, hence, I reserve the right to make any such changes, or modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the appending claims when fairly construed.

What I claim is:

Leccese l. The combination with the brake and clutch pedals of an automobile, of a friction brake comprising. a shaft connected to the brake` pedal, a friction drum and av companion member on said shaft, and 'means connected to the clutch pedal for controlling p the operation of said friction brake.

- 2.,'l`l1e combination with the clutch and brake pedals of an automobile of a friction "brake controlled by the clutch pedal, and.

drum t the brake pedal, a plungerconnectf ed to the clutch pedal, and means operated by theplunger controlling the operation of the drum.

@ilv

4. The combination with the brake and` i clutch pedals of an automobile, of a lcasing having a rack slidable therein and connected to one of the pedals, a shaft having a pinion in mesh with said rack, 'a drum ,on said shaft a plungerconnected to the other pedal and operated thereby, and means frictionally engaging the drum. and controlled by the plunger. l'

' 5. The combination with the brake and clutchpedals of an automobile of an attachdrum, and a rack inmesh with said pinionlmond tpe shaft vand connected to the brake pe' a'. n s f 1 6. The combination with the brake and clutch pedals of an automobile of an attachment therefor comprising a friction. drum and pawls cooperating therewith, av shaft carrying the pawls and on which-the drum is mounted, means connecting the shaft tol the brake pedal, a brake lever connected to the clutch pedal and cooperating with the friction drum, and means operating independently of the clutch pedal for yieldingly applying the brake lever. y

7. yIn combinationl with fthe brake `and clutch pedals of an automobile f'an attachment therefor comprising acaslng havingaV `shaft journaled therein, a drum loosely awls` carried by mounted on said shaft, the shaft to vengage the ru'm for turning the latter in one directioma brake lever engaging the drum and pivotally mounted in the casingD at one end, a plunger slidable in the casing and connected to the clutch pedal and to the outer end of the brake lever, and a spring engaging the brake lever forpressing it yleldin'g y against the drum; together Cil 8. In Combinatiorf. with the brake; and.

clutch pedals of an automobile of an attac-hlnent therefor comprising a casing having a shaft journalled therein, a drum f loosely mounted on the shaft and having a projecting rim,

spring-actuated pawls carried by the shaft and engaging the inner side of the vrim of the drum for locking said druinto the shaft when the latter" is turned iniv one direetionrmeans connecting the shaft to the brake pedal, and a brake lever pivoted at one end 1n the "easing and spring-actuated 15 against the drum'; together' with a plunger slidable in the casing and through the outer end -of thel brakev lever, a collar plunger, between on the f and a cushioning spring interposed the collar and brake lever, said 20 plunger being connected to the lclutch pedal. Inftestim'ony `whereof I have aixed signature.

LESTR- G. GUNDEBMAN. .f 

